Hixson High School agriculture students are finding that learning is profitable — literally.

After working since February in the school’s new greenhouse, HHS’ greenhouse management students are selling their produce to the community at a weekly plant sale at the school, running until May 23.

“This [plant sale] is the result of our classwork,” said agriculture teacher Lee Friedlander. “This project, which has been three years in the making, is up and running and creating opportunities for students. The greenhouse is a learning laboratory; our No. 1 goal is giving educational opportunities to our students.”

From the time the plants were seeds or cutlings and throughout the growing process, they were watered and cared for by the students themselves, Friedlander said. The money raised through the sale goes straight back into the program to purchase things like soil, pots, plants or even to help pay for conferences and competitions, he added.

“It goes to support learning. Not only are [customers] buying a nice tomato or strawberry plant, they are supporting education,” said Friedlander.

Though the project is still in its early stages, he said he hopes this sale can happen at the end of every future semester. The greenhouse will even continue to operate during summer break.

“[The greenhouse] will be up and running all summer,” he said. “I’ll be here with some of my students, helping out.”

Friedlander also said he plans to make space available for students to grow their own produce during the summer. They can then take the produce and sell it at local farmers markets.

“It’s an incubator for entrepreneurship,” he said.

Hixson High School is located at 5705 Middle Valley Road and can be reached at 847-4800. To shop the plant sale, customers should go directly to the greenhouse on the side of the schoolbetween 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Friedlander said. The sale is cash only.